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Survey says smartphones impact in-person relationships

Vivo's Impact of Smartphones on Human Relationships 2021 report looked at how excessive use of mobiles affected parent-child dynamics

The Vivo study included 1,100 respondents across eight major cities including the four metros, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune.
The Vivo study included 1,100 respondents across eight major cities including the four metros, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune.

“It is an undisputed fact that smartphones have become an integral part of our lives, helping us stay connected…giving us access to information and improving our productivity. However, their excessive use is impacting human relationships and behaviour," Vivo India Director (Brand Strategy) Yogendra Sriramula said.

This was in context of the smartphone company's latest edition of their 'Impact of Smartphones on Human Relationships 2021' report. Through this, the brand focused on the behavioural impact on children due to excessive use of mobile devices both by kids and their parents. 

The study was conducted with Cybermedia Research (CMR) and included 1,100 respondents across eight major cities including the four metros, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Pune. 

Here are some of its key takeaways:

74 per cent of Indian parents (respondents) said they feel their relationship with their kids maybe hurt because of smartphones. 

About 75 per cent respondents admitted to having been distracted by their smartphones and not being attentive to kids even while being with them.

About 69 per cent said they believe that they lose track of children, surroundings, and people when they are immersed in their smartphones, and 74 per cent said they get irritated when their children ask them something.

Since Covid, the average daily time spent on smartphones remains at alarming levels — there has been a 32 per cent increase (to 6.5 hours) in the time spent on smartphones from the pre-COVID period (4.94 hours).

About 94 per cent respondents agreed that smartphones have become a part of their bodies and they cannot separate from them.

About 70 per cent said they use their phones while eating food, 72 per cent said they use their phones in living room, and 75 per cent said they use their phones while sitting with their family. About 80 per cent said they are on their phones even they're spending time with their children.

About 66 per cent parents said they are on their smartphones while spending time with their kids, perhaps significantly impacting the quality of time spent – this is despite work-from-home increasing the amount of time spent around family overall.

Ninety per cent parents confessed that their children display some signs of aggression owing to the parent's extended smartphone usage.

About 85 per cent said they feel that their children find it difficult to mix with other kids in a social setting and the overall outdoor experience to be daunting, while 90 per cent parents felt that their children are sometimes found to be lacking in acceptable moral and social behaviour.

Despite all this, about 95 per cent respondents said they would love to spend more uninterrupted time with their children. 

Also Read: This app lets you prioritise your smartphone notifications

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